Christ’s authority

WHEN WE look at Jesus’ ministry, although He primarily came to seek and save the lost, He also spent much of His time developing His disciples to continue the ministry after His resurrection and departure. One of the key areas Jesus taught and trained His disciples to understand and walk in was authority. Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. This was part of how His disciples continued and advanced the work Jesus had started.

Jesus’ approach was to first demonstrate how to walk in spiritual authority through His miracles and command over demons, and then in Luke 9 He empowered His closest disciples to walk in His authority. “One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick…” Luke 9:1-2 (NLT). These 12 later became apostles and they exercised authority over sickness and demons, and expanded the Kingdom of God.

Jesus, however, didn’t stop with them. In Luke 10, Jesus chose 72 other disciples and gave them authority too. “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. … 16 Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me. 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name. 18 He replied, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:1, 16-19 (NIV)

In the same way Jesus sent out the apostles, He also sent out the ordinary disciples. Authority is therefore not only for church leaders, it’s for anyone who names Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Our spiritual authority is “in the Name of Jesus” and it’s Jesus’ authority given to us. It obviously works because the disciples said that the demons submitted to them in His name. The Scriptures tell us that as the disciples exercised their authority, it created a spiritual shift in the community they operated. Jesus even said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” This is saying that where Satan had a stronghold in the communities, the disciples walking in spiritual authority overthrew him. Spiritual authority is real, and it can touch communities, businesses, and families.

Jesus told His disciples that when they walk in that authority nothing would be able to harm them. As disciples of Jesus, we’re called to walk in God-given spiritual authority. The proper use of this authority is essential for the expansion of God’s Kingdom, the protection of our families, fruitfulness in our lives, achieving our destinies, and for the breakthroughs we need.

Understanding and walking in authority is necessary in both the natural and the spiritual arenas. The proper use of authority is critical in the proper functioning of the earth. Similarly, a parent has authority over their child and the proper use of that authority ensures that the child is socially adjusted, has manners, is law abiding, fits into their niche in the world and makes a good contribution to the society. As Christians we have authority, but equally important is the correct biblical exercise of it so that the Kingdom of God is advanced in the earth.